Nutrition

Stop Dieting Diets Never Work

Details: Written by Dave Gluhareff

Stop Dieting! Diets Never Work!

Diets never work, period.

By Dave Gluhareff (founder of Strength Runner)

I have been into fitness since I lost over one hundred pounds over 20 years ago and fitness has been my career ever since. I can say without a doubt and in full confidence that “Diets” never ever work. Diets only produce short term successes, if any, and then those successes never last long term. We should look at the big picture and focus on what will carry us the long haul. Diets do not. Diets restrict what, when, how, where, and why we eat without any rhyme or reason except for the fact that diet is trying to be the number one new fad and make money. Most of the time you would only lose mostly water weight, some minimal fat loss, but then because of weird restrictions that are too difficult to adhere too you would fall off the wagon and gain back what you lost and usually more.

Any diet that tells you to eat only shakes or replace the majority of your meals with shakes is absurd. Any diet where you have to count points is enabling you to still eat unhealthy or nutrient poor foods and setting you up for failure. Any diet that tells you to eliminate “all Carbs” is ridiculous, dangerous, and damaging to your brain and muscles. Any diet that you have to buy processed pre-packaged meals and snacks to have shipped to your doorstep is simply lazy and contains low performance foods. Any diet where you have to eat mostly grapefruit or drink only a certain juice or live off your own juice machine is just way far off the charts crazy. Any diet that forces you to count calories is a waste of time and energy. These Diets Never Work! That’s no way to live a healthy and comfortable lifestyle.

Years ago when Obesity was low, or rare, people used to work more outdoors, kids played outside, foods were real and not as processed or pre-packaged so we didn’t count calories, have foods mailed to us, live off Multi-Level Marketing shakes, count points, etc…NO we ate sensibly and moved around more. It’s not a mystery as to why we are heavier as a nation and world…it’s because of our choices! We cannot blame our family, friends, co-workers, fast food chains, marketing, or the weather…NO it’s because of our choices. The solution is not some crazy diet plan that will only frustrate you and believe me when I say this…there is no magic pill! Wakeup to your un-healthy lifestyle.

*Special note here – if you are allergic to any certain foods or are diabetic or have congestive heart failure or have any other illnesses or nutritional challenges that requires a special monitored nutrition plan by a doctor or nutritionist then the following may not apply to you

If you want to feel frustrated and waste time with crazy diet ideas that barely produce even short term healthy results then go ahead…but you will spin your wheels and get nowhere. I get calls from frustrated people all the time who have said they’ve tried “every diet in the book” and they fail over and over again losing more self-confidence each time. Throw the term “diet” out of your vocabulary and set your sights on eating healthy, nutritious, performance enhancing, good-for-you foods! No one in 20 years has ever called me or met with me for a consultation who has become obese from eating too many lean proteins, healthy complex carbohydrates, fresh fruits, vegetables, drinking water, enjoying low sugar/cream coffees, and low sugar or unsweetened teas…. It has never happened!

Our bodies need fuel. We need good lean protein. We need good carbs. We need fruits. We need vegetables.

So what does work?

A healthy eating plan involving healthy nutrition is the way to go. Before you or I embark on any healthy eating and nutrition plan though we must first focus on an exercise and active lifestyle plan. We have to move, exercise, get active, and stay active then setup our healthy eating plan, then focus on an appropriate rest and recovery schedule.

My Exercise, Nutrition, and Rest plan, in this specific order, produces the most effective, healthiest, and long lasting results of any fat loss or weight management plan! Read-on for what I developed and use with all my clients and myself:

Your Weight (Fat) Loss Fitness Blueprint:

Exercise: Your Weekly Exercise Plan Blueprint should be as follows:

3 Days of Resistance Training for 30 Minutes with a Day off in between Workouts Example: Monday/Wednesday/Friday Resistance Training Workouts

3 Days of Cardiovascular Training for 30 Minutes with a Day off in between Wkts Example: Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday Cardiovascular Training Workouts

Stretch before, during, and after each of your workouts!

Nutrition: Your Daily Meal Plan Blueprint should be as follows:

Breakfast – (Lean Protein, Complex Carbohydrate, and Water)

Mid-Morning Snack – (Lean Protein, Fruit, and Water)

Lunch – (Lean Protein, Complex Carbohydrate, and Water)

Late Afternoon Snack – (Lean Protein, Fruit, and Water)

Dinner – (Lean Protein, Vegetable, and Water)

Nightly Snack - “Optional if Hungry and up late? (Lean Protein, Vegetable, and Water)

Healthy Grocery List Items to Plug into Your Daily Meal Plan Blueprint

Proteins:

Unsalted Peanuts, Natural Peanut Butter, Natural Almond Butter, Beans, Cottage Cheese, Canned Tuna, Chicken Breasts, Canned Chicken, Whey, Casein, and Soy Protein Shakes (low-carb / low-sugar), Fresh Halibut, Fresh Flounder, Tilapia, Unsalted Almonds, Low Fat or Skim Milk, Unsalted Walnuts, Low Calorie Cheese – Sliced and Stick, Eggs, Tuna Steaks, Low Sugar Yogurt, Buffalo, Bison, Rabbit, Deer/Venison, Soy Nuts, Soy Burgers,

Complex Carbohydrates:

Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, Whole Grain Breads and Bagels, Sweet Potatoes, Red Potatoes, White Potatoes, Whole Grain or Long Grain Rice, Brown Rice, Whole Wheat Pasta, Veggie Pasta, Kashi Cereals, Quinoa

Fruits:

Apples, Cherries, Peaches, Nectarines, Pears, Bananas, Blueberries, Strawberries, Papayas, Blackberries, Cranberries, Kiwi, Mangos, Plums, Grapefruits, Oranges, Tangerines, Pineapple, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew Melons

Vegetables:

Fresh, Canned, or Frozen Green Beans, Fresh Cucumbers, Fresh, Canned, or Frozen Spinach, Salad in a Bag, Fresh Lettuce – Iceberg and Romaine, Fresh or Frozen Cauliflower, Fresh or Frozen Broccoli, Fresh, Canned, or Frozen Collard Greens, Fresh, Canned, or Frozen Turnip Greens, Canned or Fresh Asparagus, Tomatoes, Onions, Mushrooms, Green Peppers, Yellow Peppers, Red Peppers, Orange Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers,

Miscellaneous:

Water, Coffee (low sugar/cream), Tea (Low sugar/cream), Fresh or Bottled Herbs and Seasonings without salt/sodium, Bottled Water, Apple Cider Vinegar, Low Calorie Italian Dressing, Balsamic Vinegar, No-Trans Fat Butter – Tub, Stick, or Squeezed, Cinnamon

Rest: Your Weekly Rest/Sleep Plan Blueprint should be as follows:

1) -Get 8 hours of sleep each night!

2) -Take a nap each afternoon, everyday!

3) -Take an hour for yourself each day to just chill and relax with your hobby of choice!

Kids and Parents Stop Dieting and Just Eat Healthy

Details: Written by Dave Gluhareff

Kids and Parents Stop Dieting & Just Eat Healthy!

As a nation and as a world we have to stop making eating healthy so complicated. We tend to look for quick fixes and magic weight loss ideas or the newest fads instead of focusing on simply eating good foods. Eating nutritious foods re-energizes our bodies and minds and keeps us strong. When we eat junk we feel like junk. Junky foods make us more tired and fatigued not allowing our minds and bodies to perform their best.

We have to stop focusing on "diets" and instead focus on making healthy meal and snack choices that fill us with nourishment to help us feel, move, and look better. Most importantly we have to make sure we are exercising regularly and staying active, then eating healthy foods throughout each day, which then leads us to rest and sleep well each night.

Exercising, eating healthy, and plenty of rest helps our brains, skin, cardiovascular systems, bones, muscles, all of our bodies to function to the best of their abilities. When we choose un-healthy foods we slow down our thinking, we weaken our bones, our muscles lose strength, our heart and lungs become unhealthy and this leads to having higher chances of sickness and illness. When we feed our bodies healthy foods we are happier and healthier and become more productive at work and school. Eating healthy also keeps our attitudes more positive and we just feel good!

So how do we eat healthy meals and snacks?

To eat healthy we must begin with choosing lean proteins (chicken, fish, lean beef, lean pork, nuts, beans, low fat dairy, etc), complex carbohydrates (oatmeal, whole grain breads, sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc), fresh fruits, vegetables, and low calorie or zero calorie beverages like water or unsweetened teas. We can eat 3 meals and 3 snacks daily spaced apart every 2-3 hours and try to eat only until satisfied not stuffed or full.

Breakfast should be - lean protein, complex carbohydrate, and water

Mid morning snack should be - lean protein, fruit, and water

Lunch should be - lean protein, complex carbohydrate, and water

Late afternoon snack should be - lean protein, fruit, and water

Dinner should be - lean protein, veggie, and water

After dinner snack (if hungry and not in bed already) should be - lean protein, veggie, and water

Do not complicate healthy eating by trying some silly diets! We have to simply make the right food choices to eat healthy! Do that and your body and mind will thank you!

Eat Clean and Your Body Will Thank You

Details: Written by Dan Krueger

Eating clean is just as important if not more so than your daily workout and running routines. What is eating clean? It’s not eating fast food, pizza, wings, subs and sandwiches that you can buy quickly and eat at your desk or while driving. It’s not the processed foods that sit around in packages waiting to be peeled open and consumed right away.

Eating clean is eating varieties of fresh vegetables, fruits, lean meats, nuts and seeds. I know it’s hard to not eat lots of bread, fried potatoes, pastas and rice – Start slowly – if you normally eat a sub for lunch, make a wrap instead using a whole wheat tortilla. What I do and advise is to replace those unhealthy carbs with fresh veggies or complex carbohydrates. Instead of eating hashbrowns and buttered toast with your eggs, replace them with sliced cucumbers sprinkled with some sea salt and pepper. Use fresh tomatoes, carrot sticks or avocado. These complex carbs not only have the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs for running and working out, but they will fill you up and take the place of those fat inducing foods. Cook at home and stop going out to eat. Not only will you save money, but your meals will be healthier and you will know exactly what went into it. If you know you are going out to a restaurant, eat a large salad before you go – you’ll be less likely to gorge on unhealthy foods if you’ve already filled up somewhat with the good stuff!

Feeding your body the proper fuel to perform its best starts with 3 steps:

1. Planning

2. Preparation

3. Implementation

Planning your meals for the day, the week, or the month is the first step and it starts in the grocery store. Stick to the produce aisle and the meat section and skip the cereals and snack aisles. Think about what you will be eating for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the next 5-7 days and stock up on those things. Eggs, egg whites, lean beef, ground turkey, fish and chicken – all great protein to build muscles. Spinach, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, colored peppers, carrots, cucumbers, red cabbage, radishes, apples, oranges and bananas – all super foods and great fruits and veggies for snacks, salads and sides which will fuel your workouts. Raw almonds, cashews (in moderation) and sunflower seeds are perfect for small snacks in between meals.

Preparing is a time consuming task, but just as essential as buying all that food. Make sure you plan out your lunches and snacks if you work outside the home. If you are gone for 8-10 hours a day, you’ll need at least 2 snacks and 1 full meal. Prepare for the week ahead of time using sealable containers. Hard boil a dozen eggs so that you can bring 3 eggs to work to eat as a snack. Defrost that frozen chicken a day or two in advance so you can cook it for dinner when you get home.

Implementation is actually cooking and eating the things you’ve bought. I like to cook dinner with leftovers in mind. If I cook a whole chicken for dinner, that gives me at least 2 days of leftover chicken for lunches. Making large salads in advance takes some time, but then I have a fresh salad to eat every day. Just don’t add the tomatoes or cucumbers until just before you eat or the salad will get soggy.

This photo is an example of one day of the meals that I typically eat:

For breakfast I had an egg white omelet with spinach and crumbled bacon topped with some hot sauce. Tomatoes, sliced peppers, guacamole and carrots on the side. For lunch, some seared tuna over red cabbage with edamame on the side – this can be cooked in advance. A giant salad for a late afternoon snack, and some lean beef, quinoa, sautéed broccoli and cinnamon apple sauce for dinner.

Is eating clean easy? No. If it was everyone would be doing it and our society would be a lot healthier. It’s the same with working out and running - once develop good habits it becomes a lifestyle – and one your body will thank you for by looking and responding better!

- Dan

Nutrition Blueprint

Details: Written by Dave Gluhareff

Nutrition: Daily Meal Plan Blueprint:

**I eat 4000-5000 calories per day before a big race, 3000-4000 calories per day on normal days. The following Meals & Snacks are spaced out 2-3 hours all day from waking to bedtime:

-Breakfast – (Lean Protein, Complex Carbohydrate, and Water)

-Mid-Morning Snack – (Lean Protein, Fruit, Complex Carbohydrate, and Water)

-Lunch – (Lean Protein, Complex Carbohydrate, and Water)

-Late Afternoon Snack – (Lean Protein, Fruit, Complex Carbohydrate, and Water)

-Dinner – (Lean Protein, Vegetable, Complex Carbohydrate, and Water)

-Nightly Snack - (Lean Protein, Vegetable, and Water)

-Before Bed snack – (Lean Protein or Protein Shake or Protein Bar with Water)

Healthy Grocery List Items I Plug into My Daily Meal Plan Blueprint

Proteins:

Complex Carbohydrates:

Fruits:

Vegetables:

Miscellaneous:

For help with your own perosnalized meal and snack plan contact us for help and/or visit us at www.Facebook.com/StrengthRunner for daily Training, Nutrition, & Recovery information!